New Year's Noshes: Check out these restaurants with prix fixe menus to ring in 2012 right

Published Dec 28 2011, 12:41 PM by Alexandra Cavallo

By now, we hope you've checked out all the parties, shows, and opportunities for some end-of-2011 debauchery in our New Year's Eve listings. But if you're more of a gourmand than a hard-partier, perhaps a classy dinner for two (or more...whatever you're into) is more up your alley. We rounded up just a few of the many, many restaurants around town offering special prix fixe New Year's menus. And they sound freaking delicious. Almost makes us want to forgo getting totally smashed and just eat ourselves into a celebratory food coma instead. (If you balance it just right, we're pretty sure you can do both.) Check em' out and then make your reservations fast...if they haven't booked up already they will soon. Bon Appétit!

FOR FANCY SCHMANCY DINERS WITH FINE PALATES AND FAT WALLETS....

MERITAGE | 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston | Choose from a first seating four-course menu or a second seating five-course menu. Both menus include specialized per-course wine pairings starting with sparklers and including light whites, spicy earthy reds, robust reds, and more. Menu options include char seared black grouper, sweet onion crusted roasted veal tenderloin medallion with truffle oil, pan roasted New York foie gras, caviar topped salt pond oysters, and more | 6-11 pm | $95 for 1st seating; $175 for 2nd seating | 617.439.3995 or meritagetherestaurant.com

L'ESPALIER | 774 Boylston St, Boston | Come hungry, they're offering a gourmet eight-course menu with gastronomical delights including goose consommé with chestnut gnocchi and black truffles, roasted Pekin duck and satsuma with potato-almond cake, and lacquered foie gras. | 5-11 pm | $195; $125 Vintner's Tasting | 617.262.3023 or lespalier.com

CHEZ HENRI | 1 Shepard St, Cambridge | Four-course dinner with tasty sounding options including steak tartare on manchego toasts with chipotle aioli, butter poached Maine lobster, grilled venison with juniper and cranberry, and, for the vegetarian diner, layer chick pea flour crepes "lasagna" with goat cheese | 5:30-10:30 pm | $85 | 617.354.8980 or chezhenri.com

CRAIGIE ON MAIN | 835 Main St, Cambridge | Five-course menu for early seatings (6-7 pm) and six-course plus champagne toast at late seatings (9-10 pm). Menu starts with an amuse bouche and includes interesting options like crispy goose confit, housemade squid ink noodles with octopus and pork heart sausage ragout, slow roasted Loup de Mer and, for dessert, a blood orange soufflé or chocolate mousse tart with tobacco glaze | 6-10 pm | $130; $190 with wine pairings for 5-course menu + $160; $230 for 6-course | 617.497.5511 or craigieonmain.com

MARKET BY JEAN-GEORGE | 100 Stuart St, Boston | Six-course chef's tasting menu with delicacies including foie gras brulé with toasted brioche, caviar, grilled beef tenderloin with spinache and gruyere crepe and beef consommé, and more | 6-11 pm | $115 | 617.310.6790 or marketbyjgboston.com

FOR THOSE WHO WANT A [RELATIVELY] AFFORDABLE GOURMET MEAL...

BEACON HILL BISTRO | 25 Charles St, Boston | Menu highlights include an amuse bouche of Woodbury Wellfleet oysters with oyster Gelée and caviar, butter poached Maine lobster, and Vermont Quail en Farcie. Meal begins with Prosecco toast | 5:30-11 pm | $77 | 617.723.7575 or beaconhillhotel.com

B & G OYSTERS | 550 Tremont St, Boston | In addition to their regular menu, they'll be offering a five-course tasting menu with seafood bites including a hamachi crudo with serrano relish and shallot, butter poached lobster tail with seared foie gras, truffle jus, and black eyed peas, and more | noon-11 pm | $65 | 617.423.0550 or bandgoysters.com

ART BAR | In the Royal Sonesta Hotel, 40 Edwin Land Blvd, Cambridge | Six-course tasting menu with pan seared monk fish, grilled ostrich, natural pork cheeks, and other interesting dishes | 6-10 pm | $60; $90 with wine pairings | 617.806.4122 or artbarcambridge.com

D BAR | 1236 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester | Four-course menu including Waygu steak tartare, home-made Orecchiette pasta with fennel sausage, duck confit with a truffle sherry vinaigrette, veal ossubuco with polenta, and more | 5:30-10 pm | $69; $99 with wine pairings | 617.265.4490 or dbarboston.com

AND FOR DINERS ON A BUDGET . . .

EAST COAST GRILL | 1271 Cambridge St, Cambridge | Special "heaven or hell" prix fixe dinner menus. "Heaven" options include BBQ oysters, crab cakes with sweet pepper jelly and cornbread, and grilled duck breast with hazlenut and bacon vinaigrette. "Hell" options include oysters with raw tuna, chile, and ginger, blue crab cakes with Trinidad Scorpion-Green Mango slaw, and Korean style rare beef salad | call for times | $53 | 617.491.6568 or eastcoastgrill.net

GARDEN AT THE CELLAR | 991 Mass Ave, Cambridge | Four-course menu with three seatings (5 + 7 + 9 pm) Gastronomic options include chestnut mousseline with fresh black truffles and honey, housemade tagliatelle with foraged mushrooms and slow-cooked egg, lamb assiette with roasted sunchokes and mustard greens, and more | 5:30-10 pm | $55 | 617.475.0045 or gardenatthecellar.com

For more New Year's dining options and New Year's Day brunch spots (and more fun food events) check out our Food & Drink listings and for post-dinner New Year's parties, shows, First Night Boston events, and more check out our New Year's listings!